Cradle for log-rafts.



P. P. DUNDON.

CRADLE FOR LOG RAFTS.

APPLICATION FILED mm 24, 1912.

1 ,081 A39, Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

WITNESSES U 31301: laid/@9414,

' L A; ATTORNEY COLUMBIA manor-mu l! C0,, WASH mu'mm n. C

"ririrrnn srar PATRICK F. DUNDON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CRADLE FOR LOG-RAFTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

App1ication filed June 24, 1912. Serial No. 705,444.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK F. DUNDON, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cradles for Log-Rafts, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has for its object to provide an improved cradle for logs, lumber or other floatable material, so constructed as to permit a large number of logs to be floated upon the ocean or other large body of water from the place of production to the place of consumption with greater ease, economy, and safety than heretofore.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a plan view of a log raft in which my improved cradle is used; Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken plan view of a section of the cradle; Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of said raft; Fig. 1 is a still more enlarged plan view of an end of a side-frame thereof; Fig. 5 is a front view of the same; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal transverse section through the thimble of the towing pin; Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail plan view of the link connection for attaching the raft to the towing cable; Fig. 8 is a broken plan view of an end of a section of the raft in process of construction, showing a spacing log, which is removed when the section is completed.

On referring to the drawing, it will be seen that my improved raft is formed in sections or units 1, there being here shown three such sections, although any number may be used, said sections being flexibly connected with each other by cables 2. Each section comprises parts flexibly connected by cables 6, there being here shown a front half 3 and a rear half 4. The front and rear halves are precisely similar in size, form, and construction, and each half comprises rigid side-frames connected to one another transversely by cables 13. Each side-frame consists of inner and outer logs S, 9, spaced from one another by suitable spacing blocks 11, gained in both logs and connected together at suitable intervals by transverse bolts 12 passing through the blocks 11. In the ends of the log are bored transverse holes in which are inserted tightly filling tubes 5 through which are passed bolts 20. Between the inner and outer logs of each frame are passed terminal portions of the transversely extending cables 13, having connected to their upper ends shackles 14. In constructing the raft of logs, said sideframes are held apart at the proper distance by logs 15 of suitable length temporarily placed between their ends and one end of each cable is, by any suitable means, sup ported just above the frame adjacent thereto, while the other end is drawn upwardly until the cable assumes an approximately horizontal direction. The two halves of each section are connected with one another by means of the longitudinal cables 6 having at their front and rear ends loops which pass around elongated thimbles 17, through which thimbles pass the bolts 20 adjacent to the ends of the side-frames. When the two halves of any section or unit are so connected together and arranged, which is done in smooth water, the logs, shown at 18, are moved on to said transverse cables 13. The length of side-frames is less than one-half the maximum length of the logs, so that said logs extend the full length of the section. As more and more logs are moved into position to be confined by the side-frames, the transverse cables 13 are gradually lowered, by lowering the ends thereof which had been previously drawn upward, until such a number of logs have been placed in position that both ends of each cable are just above the side-frames, as shown in Fig. 3.

At a suitable stage in the construction of the log raft, the two side-frames are connected at their ends by horizontal transverse cables 21, to prevent said side-frames spreading or separating from one another.

To the ends of the transverse cables 13 are attached the ends of lines 19 of cable, and then there are added to the raft more logs, until the whole body of the raft section is completed. The upper ends of the lines 19 are then drawn tight in any suitable manner, as by a winch or by a turnbuckle or by a sheave 22 attached to one line and through which the other line is reeved, and is then hauled tight and made fast by doubling it over the main cable and gripping it by clamps or the like. The remaining sections of the raft are then completed in like manner, said sections being connected by the cables 2 secured to the ends of the side-frames in like manner as the cables 6. The front end of the raft is then attached to the towing cable 23, the rear end of which cable is formed with a loop 2 1 surrounding an elongated thimble 26, through which passes a bolt 27 passing through a clevis 28, which engages a link 29, which passes through thimbles 31 around which pass loops 32 on the front ends of rearwardly diverging cables 33, the rear ends of which pass around thimbles 17 through which pass bolts 12 like those previously described. Attached to the cables 33 near the link 29 is a float 40, which serves to support on the water the ends of the cables 33, when disconnected from the cable 23.

Since the pull from the towing cables is transmitted to the raft through the middle portions of the bolts 12, while the resistance of the raft acts upon the inner portions of said bolts, the effect is to produce a large bending moment upon said bolts. To oppose this force, the outer logs 9 of the sideframes of the rearmost sections are connected tothe forward ends of tie-bars 34, which extend rearwardly and inwardly, and their rear ends are connected to the inner logs 8 of said side-frames. Said tiebars thus take the strain from said bolts 12.

This construction of log raft possesses important advantages as compared with the present practice of transferring logs in the ocean, namely, by binding all the logs in one huge cigar-shaped bundle or raft.. With such construction it not infrequently happens that the logs work loose and the whole raft breaks up, becoming a serious menace to navigation. With the present construction the logs are held securely together. A further advantage is that, the raft being made in sections, it is possible to disengage from the raft one or more sec tions at a time and deliver them at different localities. For this disengagement any suitable coupling device can be provided, which, as well known, I have not shown herein. The reasons for making each section in two halves are that it is easier to combine them together into a compact mass, and that the side-frames, being less than one-half the length of the logs, can be readily placed on board a Vesseland transported to the place of production of the logs to be used over again.

It will be understood that any number of separate units or sections may be loaded and attached together for a single towing; also that each separate unit may have a frame of one or more sections or portions.

I claim 1. A cradle for logs having side-frames between which the logs are confined, each I Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents side-frame comprising two logs, bolts connecting said logs, thimbles around said bolts adjacent to the extremities of said logs and having rounded portions, and cables passing around the rounded portions of said thimbles.

2. A cradle for logs comprising front and rear portions, each having side frames between which the logs are confined, each side-frame comprising two logs, means for spacing said logs apart, and bolts connecting said logs, and cables passing between logs of the side-frames and surrounding the logs.

8. A cradle for logs comprising front and rear sections, each having side-frames between which the logs are confined, each side-frame comprising two logs, means for spacing said logs apart, and bolts connecting said logs, and cables passing between logs of the side-frames and connecting the side-frames of the front portion with the side-frames of the rear portion.

1. A cradle for logs comprising front and rear sections, each having side-frames between which the logs are confined, each side-frame comprising two logs, means for spacing said logs apart, and bolts connecting said logs. and passing through said spacing means. 7 a

5 A cradle for logs having a frame comprising front and rear portions, each having side-frames between which the logs are confined, each side-frame comprising two logs, bolts connecting said logs, cables passing between logs of the side-frames and connecting the side-frames of the front portion with the side-frames of the rear por tion, thimbles around bolts adjacent to the extremities of said logs, and cables passing around said thimbles for connecting the portions with one another.

6. A cradle for logs having a frame comprising front and rear portions, each having side-frames between which the logs are confined, each side-frame comprising two logs, bolts connecting said logs, towing means connected to the foremost bolts be tween the logs, and tie rods extending rearwardly and inwardly, and connecting the logs of the rear side-frames with one another.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, PATRICK F. DUNDON. Witnesses:

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, D. B. RICHARDS.

each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. D. C. 

